Headgear



March 2, 1943. TURCHlN 2,312,606

- HEADGEAR Filed F sh. .4, 1942 INVENTOR}. Radar Tarduln,

Am'amrmg Patented Mar. 2, 19 43 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE Claims.

The invention relates to headgear and, more particularly, to hats andbonnets for women.

The main object of the invention is to produce a headgear for womenwhich is both washable and reversible. Another object is to provide aheadgear of this character which may be used either as a hat or as abonnet, especially, a sun bonnet. Still another object is to enable thewearer to attain contrasting color effects by using differently coloredfabrics for what may be called the outer and the inner side of theheadgear. A further object is to provide a headgear which is adjustableto a variety of crown sizes. Other objects will become apparent from thespecification which follows and the accompanying drawing, in whichFigure 1 is a plan view of the basic pattern used for making one of theembodiments of the invention.

Figure 2 is a cross section taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the headgear formed from the patternshown in Figure 1 when made up into a sun bonnet.

Figure 4 is a similar view when the same pattern is made up into a hat.

Figures 5, 6 and '7 are plan views similar to that shown in Figure 1 butfor variants of the invention.

Referring to the figures in detail, 1 and 2 are identically shaped,superimposed pieces of washable material secured together along theircommon periphery. The material is cut to form a basic pattern comprisinga main body portion 3 and a flap '4 integral therewith and extendingcentrally therefrom. The periphery of the basic pattern consists of thefront edge 5 outwardly curved from end to end of the main body portion3, the back edges 6, 6, of the main body portion 3, the side edges 1, I,of the flap 4, and the end edge of the flap 4 not designated with anumeral. All these edges, except the end edge of the flap, are turnedover seams with invisible stitches. Only the stitching on the end edgeof the flap 4 is visible. Buttons 8, 8, at the end of the flap 4 areadapted to engage the elastic loops 9, 9, at the ends of the main bodyportion 3. A decorative piece, shown in the drawing as a bow H, isdetachably secured to the flap 4, as by means of a snap connector Ill.The edges 6, 6, of the main body portion 3 and the side edges I, I, ofthe flap 4 may be connected by separable means such as, for instance,the slide connectors (zippers) I2, shown in Figure '7. Such a connectionmay, of course, be made also in the case of the other types of patternshown.

To form the headgear, the elastic loops 9 are connected to the buttons8. In the case where there are separable connecting means such as shownin Figure '7, the buttons 8 and loops 9 may, of course, be omitted,except when it is desired to keep the connectors 12 separated at times,

When the front part of the main body portion 3 is not folded over, theheadgear constitutes a sun bonnet, as shown in Figure 3. When, on theother hand, the front part of the main body portion 3 is folded over, asin Figure i, the headgear becomes a hat.

In either case, the headgear has the following characteristics:

First, it fits the head perfectly. This is due in part to the feature ofequal length of the edges 6 and l, and, in part, to the feature of theobtuse angle formed by the edges 6 and the edges l, whether these arestraight or curved.

Second, the resilient means connecting the end of the flap 4 with theends of the main body portion 3 allows the headgear to adapt itself to avariety of sizes of the crown.

Third, the width of the gap between the edges 6 and I is so slight as toconstitute no appreciable break in the head covering.

Fourth, the headgear is reversible, i. e., either the fabric I or thefabric 2 may be the outer side of the headgear. Incidentally, thisfeature permits of a variety of color contrasts, especially, when thepattern is formed into a hat (Figure 4), the folded over front being ofa color different from that of the rest of the hat.

Fifth, and this is the most important characteristic, the headgear isnot only Washable, but may be pressed and ironed with ease and withoutespecial equipment. All one has to do for this purpose is to separatethe connecting means between the end of the flap 4 and the ends of themain body portion 3, and lay the pattern out flat. The decorative piecesbeing detachably secured to the headgear, these may be removed beforethe washing and ironing operation.

Ordinarily, fabrics have a finished surface on one side only. This iswhy, to produce a reversible headgear, at least two superimposed fabricsI and 2 are used. But there are fabrics which have a finished surface onboth sides. With such fabrics, it is not necessary to use more than onelayer, and one of the two fabrics I, 2, may be omitted in this case.

Nor is it necessary that the fabrics be washable to make use of thepresent invention. Any material may be used which may be cleaned andpressed. For instance, straw, which is not exactly washable, but may becleaned, is well adapted for a headgear such as here described. Strawhats, of course, may be cleaned and pressed even when it is not possibleto flatten them out, but in that case they require blocks on which theymust be mounted and, in general, the operation is not easy and requiresespecial equipment. The present invention, therefore, is applicable alsoto such materials as straw, in which case, however, only one layer wouldbe used.

The first one of the above mentioned characteristics was discovered byme only after a great many experiments with all sorts of head shapes. Ifound that, to secure the desired result'of a perfect fit and smooth,wrinkle-less appearance in conjunction with adaptability to variouscrown sizes, it is imperative that the edges 6 and 1 be of substantiallythe same length and that the angle formed by them be obtuse, whetherthese edges are straight or curved. When they are curved, the angle isdetermined by that of the tangents to the curves, as is well known andas is indicated in Figure 6.

When more stiffness is desired, a third layer of fabric may beinterposed between the layers I and 2. It is also to be noted that thefront edge of the main body portion 3 need not be curved from end toend, or be curved at all, for that matter. Among other variations as todetails may be mentioned the substitution of any other resilient meansconnecting the end of the flap 4 and the ends of the main body 3compatible with the condition that the headgear be washable orreversible, when these features are desired; also, the substitution ofother known methods of forming the edges of the headgear. Such obviousvariations are not described or illustrated because they wouldneedlessly encumber the specification, being well known in the art.

I claim:

1. A headgear made of a flat piece of material having a finished surfaceon both sides and consisting of a main body portion and a flap integraltherewith and extending centrally therefrom, said main body portionhaving back edges of substantially the same length as the side edges ofsaid flap and extending therefrom at obtuse angles thereto, andresilient means for detachably connecting the end of said flap to theends of said main body portion, thereby forming a reversible headgear oradjustable crown size.

2. A headgear made of a flat piece of material comprising identicallyshaped, superimposed pieces of fabric secured together along theircommon periphery and consisting of a main body portion and a flapintegral therewith and extending centrally therefrom, said main bodyportion having back edges of substantially the same length as the sideedges of said flap and extending therefrom at obtuse angles thereto, andresilient means for detachably connecting the end of said flap to theends of said main body portion.

.3. A headgear made of a fiat piece of material comprising twoidentically shaped, superimposed pieces of fabric secured together alongtheir common periphery and consisting of a main body portion and a flapintegral therewith and extending centrally therefrom, said flap havinginwardly curved side edges, and said main body portion having outwardlycurved back edges extending from said side edges at obtuse anglesthereto, said back edges of the main body portion being of substantiallythe same length and of the same curvature as the side edges of saidflap, and resilient means for detachably connecting the end of said flapwith the ends of said main body portion, thereby forming a reversibleheadgear of adjustable crown size.

4. A headgear made of a. flat piece of material comprising twoidentically shaped, superimposed pieces of washable fabric securedtogether along their common periphery and consisting of a main bodyportion and a flap, integral therewith and extending centrallytherefrom, said main body portion having, an outwardly curved front edgeand straight back edges extending from the side edges of said flap atobtuse angles thereto, said back edges of the main body portion and saidside edges of the flap being of substantially the same length, andresilient means for detachably connecting the end of said flap with theends of said main body portion, thereby forming a re versible headgearof adjustable crown size.

5. A headgear made of a flat piece of material comprising identicallyshaped, superimposed pieces of fabric secured together along theircommon periphery and consisting of a main body portion and a flapintegral therewith and extending centrally therefrom, said flap havinginwardly curved side edges, and said main body portion having outwardlycurved back edges extending from the side edges of said flap at obtuseangles thereto, said back edges of the main body portion being ofsubstantially the same length and of the same curvature as the sideedges of said flap, separable means for connecting the back edges ofsaid main body portion and the corresponding side edges of said flap,and resilient means for detachably connecting the end of said flap withthe ends of said main body portion when said separable means areseparated.

ISADOR TURCHIN.

